CHAPTER TWO
As I’m walking away from the gymnasium, I find myself getting rather lost and shoved around in the crowd of people leaving at the same time. I stumble to the side as someone rudely shoulders past me, slamming into something solid and warm.
“Son of a…” I begin, rising up with the intent to give my assailant a piece of my mind. They’re gone before I can see the guilty party, and my anger is fueled by a rumble of a laugh from whoever I had bumped into. I turn to face them, knowing it’s irrational to be angry, considering I’m the one who hit them. I fail to see what’s so funny about the situation however. When I turn, however, I am met with perhaps the most gorgeous man I have ever lay eyes upon. I recognize him immediately, though I can’t place the name as quickly. He’s the very same man Jason was bickering with before the game, and he’s known through the University as being a sort of rival for the other basketball player.
“Are you alright?” He says with a small smirk, but as I consider him, he seems to school his expression into a more neutral expression. He quirks a brow as I continue to stare wordlessly at him, running a hand through his shaggy black hair.
“I’m… fine.” I finally manage, and he rumbles another laugh.
“That’s for sure.” He murmurs quietly, and I’m unsure of whether or not he intended for me to hear him. I feel my cheeks reddening once more, and curse myself for how easily embarrassed I seem to be. I can’t ignore how appealing the shaggy haired man is, however. He’s fresh from the shower, droplets of water beading down his neck from his still wet hair. The other basketball players keep their hair cropped short, and now that I think of it, Ricky seems the only one with hair that reaches below his eyebrows. There’s something about him, something unidentifiable even though he seems rather subdued in our interaction. He simply allows me to take him in, even as I feel my eyes travelling further and further south. My eyes jolt to his face once more as he flicks his tongue out to moisten his lips, and I swear my legs will buckle beneath me if I don’t tear my eyes away from this fine hunk of a man. “You alright?” He asks quietly, and I draw my lip between my teeth, smothering any inappropriate replies.
“Fine.” I repeat, and he grins a secretive little grin. There’s some sense of mystery that radiates from his aura, and I feel myself drawn to his dark eyes and sly smile.
“Good.” He says, and I wait for him to continue. He seems to have no intentions of doing so, and I draw my lip between my teeth, wondering if there’s something I can say to prolong the conversation. I want to tell him that I think he’s particularly ‘fine’ himself, but I don’t have the nerve to do so. He seems to sense my unease, and offers me an easy smile. I return the expression uncertainly, and I part my lips to speak but before I can, he interrupts me. “I should be getting back to my dorm room.” He says, and that seems to be the end of our conversation. Before he can walk away entirely, I call out after him.
“Wait!” I implore, and he pauses, turning to consider me with curious eyes. “Isn’t there usually some kind of party after these games? Aren’t you going?” I inquire uncertainly, and he responds with a dismissive chuckle. I narrow my eyes at the non verbal response, crossing my arms over my chest and tilting my head imploringly at him. He quirks his lips in a broad smile, and his eyes seem to twinkle with mischief in spite of how subdued he has been throughout our interaction.
“Parties aren’t really my scene. The other guys tend to get too wasted, and I’m just not feeling it. I’m sure you can understand that.” He murmurs slyly. I can’t help the shocked bulging of my eyes at his dismissal of what are perhaps the biggest parties on the entire campus. A party that was partly in his honor-- no! Not one party, but a series of parties throughout the season, for him and his teammates, and he chooses not to attend. While I certainly understand my own reasons for not attending, namely being the reason that I’m forbidden from them, I can’t understand why he would choose to spend an evening alone in his dorm.
“But… why? Aren’t your teammates expecting you?” I sputter. He considers me for a long moment, and I realize belatedly that I may seem a bit too invested in his desire to attend a silly college party. I try to rein myself in, but before I can dismiss the issue entirely, he shrugs a shoulder.
“Yeah. I’m sure they are, or, would be if I’d ever attended one of the post game parties. I just… don’t care.” He says coolly. I stare at him in shock, and he averts his eyes, brushing a hand through his shaggy black hair once more. What seems to be casual disregard for what the rest of the team thinks of him is surprising, but rather attractive if I’m being honest. I wish for a moment, I could go against what was expected of me. I wish I could, for one night, go to one of those wild parties. I wish I could lock lips with this mysterious stud of a man, maybe take him home with me. I just wish…
“Anyway. I’m heading off for the night. You’d better get to your dorm, too. Wouldn’t want to get caught up with the wrong company.” He says coolly, and I can’t help feeling as if he is trying to get away from me. Before I can get too swept up in my insecurity, he offers me a sly little wink before slipping away.
I watch him go, the stirring between my thighs growing ever more obvious. I draw my lip between my teeth, following him with my eyes until he disappears into the darkness altogether. I belatedly realize that he likely had a point, telling me to had back to my own place. Though the university has always been relatively safe at night, I didn’t want to take any unneeded chances. I stare after him for a moment longer, a shiver shooting down my spine. I turn in the direction of my dorm, and though I wish I could say otherwise, my thoughts won’t stray from not just one, but two basketball players.Jason should be the last thing on my mind, but I can’t help thinking of him as well as the man who had just slipped away. The short haired basketball player is more obvious about his attraction to me, if a bit cruder about it. It’s nice to be openly appreciated, even if it’s for something as shallow as my looks. However, I can’t help feeling as if Ricky is keeping a wild beast pinned down inside him. There’s something about the way he looked at me, the way he allowed me to simply take in his perfectly sculpted form… I can’t help but wonder what he looks like under that basketball jersey. I imagine more cleanly sculpted abs, lean muscle where Jason, from what I’ve seen, is somewhat beefier. The thought of being pinned between the two of them flashes briefly through my mind, and I swallow the lump forming in my throat. I’m a good girl, for the most part. At least, i try to be. I listen to my dad’s wishes, and try to follow each of them to the letter. I would never do anything to ruin his reputation, and I know that dating either of the basketball stars would lead to an inevitable scandal. The fact of the matter is, I shouldn’t be thinking about dating either of them, let alone be torn between the thoughts of both of them.
I guess I never really outgrew that rebellious phase. Not really. Just like the beast that I’m certain lies in wait, deep within Ricky Mason, there is a beast that lies within me. A beast that longs to entangle with both of the men, to sink it’s teeth into their supple flesh, to do nothing short of devouring the two of them. As I try to avoid getting swept up in these crude thoughts, all I know is that I have to do everything in my power to restrain the beast. To restrain myself. I’m not a kid anymore, not some foolish teenager. I can’t go chasing every bad boy who catches my eye.
Swallowing a sigh, I meander in the direction of my dorm, finding boredom in the still of the night. Though there is the steady bass beat indicative of a party in the distance, it only reminds me of how I am strictly forbidden from attending any of these parties. It was always the same spiel. Parties lead to drinking, drinking leads to sex, and sex leads to scandal.
I try to push the thought from my head, opening the door to my dorm and stepping inside. I nudge the door closed behind me, for the first time cursing the loneliness of being alone in this dorm room. A roommate would likely be irritating, but at the very least I wouldn’t have to deal with the overwhelming silence that permeated the entire place. Even a dog would be nice, but pets were strictly forbidden-- though that seemed a more likely rule to break than the dating rule. Deciding that homework can wait, I decide to turn in early, as lame as that may seem. Raging hormones can be rather exhausting, I’ve realized as of the last few moments. I strip out of my clothes, not bothering to change into a pair of pajamas before tucking myself beneath my covers.